Mountainside church camp breaks world record for packing food donations

MOUNTAINSIDE — The exuberant cheers of "We beat Walmart!" broke out just a few seconds after the confetti cannons were launched.

But the campers and counselors of Liquid Church’s summer program did more than that.

In three minutes, they packed 12,000 non-perishable food items into plastic bags, breaking an existing world record and gathering about a three-month supply of food for My Neighbor’s Pantry in Somerset.

“The adrenaline was rushing everywhere,” said 11-year-old camper Hunter Birch of Scotch Plains. “It was really cool to be a part of it.”

The current Guinness World Record for the assembling “hunger-relief kits” is held by Walmart, whose shareholders packed up 555 bundles in three minutes at a 2012 meeting.

On Friday, the final day of Liquid Church’s Camp Rock program, 224 kids and 143 volunteer counselors set out to more than double that record.

“We wanted to prove to the kids that they can do anything the corporate giants can do,” said Kenny Jahng, the church’s media and innovation pastor.

Decked out in Star Wars costumes, alien antenna headbands and silver face paint, the children and adults celebrating the camp’s space-themed day successfully packed 1,200 bags in three minutes.

Each bag contained ten cans or boxes of food, including applesauce, raisins, soup and macaroni and cheese, all purchased by the church.

“It’s one of the things we’re trying to teach the kids, that we don’t give leftovers,” Jahng said. “We give first fruit.”

To take the title of official record-holders, the church members must have their time-stamped videos of the event approved by Guinness World Records in London.

The preparations in accordance with Guinness standards took around four months, Jahng said.

While independent timekeepers and official photographers watched Friday, the campers and counselors lined up outside at long tables, with the food stacked in front of them and their hands behind their back.

Then the countdown began, and the rush started. Church members sat down as they finished packing their bags. Occasionally a counselor would run by with new plastic bag to replace a broken one, or a young camper would point out a forgotten cup of applesauce.

When the three minutes were up, counselor Brian Mumau of Millstone said he’d had no doubt they would break the record.

“When we want to do stuff here at Liquid Church, we find a way to get it done,” he said.

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